California Governor Jerry Brown has some blunt words for Democratic lawmakers who have rejected the budget cuts he proposed in January.
He said they need to “man up” and make the four billion dollars in cuts he’s calling for in welfare, child care and other areas. The governor said the state can’t get out of the “mess” it’s in by only approving his November tax initiative.
"It’s not just the tax,” said Brown. "It’s the cuts I made last year, the cuts I want to make this year, and the legislators have not yet gone along yet. I hope they will. They have to. And then we need pension reform."
Brown’s comments Friday came on KGO Radio in San Francisco. They bring back memories of former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. He called state lawmakers “girlie men” in 2004 when urging them to pass an overdue budget.
This year, Democratic lawmakers have said they’re waiting for Brown’s May Revise budget proposal, which will have updated revenue projections. The non-partisan legislative analyst has recommended doing so as well.
